


God, You're Pretty

by Ididntsignupforthisshit (myhamartia)



Series: Newsies Tumblr Prompts [8]
Category: Newsies - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern, Alternate Universe - Theater, Gen, They're doin falsettos it's great, actors! davey race les and a few others, theater director! jack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-04
Updated: 2017-12-04
Packaged: 2019-02-10 11:33:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,463
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12911058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myhamartia/pseuds/Ididntsignupforthisshit
Summary: anonymous said:#4 ("God, you're pretty)Wherein Davey, Race and the gang are in a production of Falsettos. Jack is fitting into the Theater Director Aesthetic, Race is a little flat, and Davey doesn't looksmolder-yenough





	God, You're Pretty

**Author's Note:**

> hi! this is for a prompt from [this list](https://itsnewstome.tumblr.com/post/167718541402/prompt-list-1)!
> 
> #4: God, you're pretty
> 
> I literally couldn't stop thinking about the Falsettos line in The Chess Game after I read that, so I knew what I had to do. A theater AU. Duh.
> 
> I hope you like it! I think I kinda love it.
> 
> dont forget to leave a comment!
> 
> also in case you want to know my cast list:  
> Trina - JoJo  
> Mendel - Henry  
> Jason - Les  
> Charlotte - Kath  
> Cordelia - Sarah  
> Whizzer - Race  
> Marvin - Davey

  “Okay, start again. Dave,  _ for the love of God _ , try to look less gentlemanly, and more like you want to just eat him.”

  Davey frowned at Jack. “That doesn’t help me very much,” he noted dryly.

  Sitting at the table, the chess board between Davey and Race, Davey felt inexplicably  _ tired _ . They’d been trying to get this scene down for the better part of an hour, never even getting through the entire Chess Game song before Jack was getting on their asses, saying that they weren’t doing  _ something _ right.

  He had decided that Davey was too  _ cold _ . He thought that his gaze was leering instead of smoldering. Forget the fact that Act I Marvin is mostly a leering asshole, Davey isn’t selling the  _ passion  _ enough!

  “Let’s just try it,” Jack said. “Here we go. Go ahead, boys.”

  “From where?” Race asked. His hands were folded together and stuck between his thighs, looking ready to work, to learn. God, how was he not tired of this scene by now?

  Jack hummed, making a little face. He shot a look to Elmer, who was at the grand piano at the edge of the stage. They had a small, silent conversation before Jack turned back to Davey and Race. “Your  _ move the pawn _ ,” he said finally.

  Race nodded firmly, and sat up just a little bit straighter, looking proud of himself. Davey leaned his elbows onto his knees and put his steepled hands up to his mouth, looking like he was contemplating particularly hard about the chess pieces in front of him.

  “Move the pawn,” Race sang, prodding Davey along with a little lift of his brow. All teasing and fleeting expressions. Davey didn’t budge, so Race moved to mirror his pose, leaning on his knees. He pointed to Davey’s immaculate line of chess pieces with his index finger. His finger poked in his direction with every word he sang. “ _ Move the pawn. _ ”

  Davey sighed, flicked an unimpressed glance to Race, but he didn’t move.

  “Take my hand.” Davey softened his eyes and took Race’s offered hand, his fingers trailing over Race’s palm. Race flipped Davey’s palm in his hand and put it over one of the pawns, sliding it forward two spaces. “Play the game.”

  Davey took barely a pause, flipping his hand to hold Race’s again. He leaned in even more, his eyes on Race’s mouth, tracing down the slope of his neck. “ _ God _ , you’re pretty,” he sang.

  Race rolled his eyes, pulling away. “More’s the pity-,” Davey looked like he withered as Race pulled away, crossing his legs and taking his hand from Davey’s. He crossed his arms across his chest, sizing Davey up “-since you need a man-,”

  “What?” Davey jolted up.

  “-who’s brainy.”

  Davey rolled his eyes and glared at Race. “Or  _ witty _ ,” he said. It was as if accusing Race of being anything but. “ _ Move _ ,” he commanded.

  Race looked back down at the board. “What should I do now?” They went through the lyrics effortlessly, Davey seeming more than a little peeved at Race and at how unable he was to grasp the concept of how chess worked. “Chess ain’t how your boyfriend thinks!” he snapped.

  “This game  _ stinks _ .” Davey looked at Race plainly, letting him read between the lines as he wished.

  After a second, Race bit his lip and looked back to Davey. “Let me win?”

  Davey put up his hands. “Yes, sir.”

  “Please?” he batted his eyelashes, and Davey nodded.

  “Yes,” he sighed.

  Race’s grin was unreal. “Thanks!” He began shifting the pieces on the board, and Davey tensed, opposing. “Whizzer wins!” Race declared, grinning with a childlike excitement. He picked up Davey’s king, waving it in front of his nose. “Whizzer wins! Check _ mate _ .”

  The two of them twisted in their seats until they faced the audience. “Life’s a sham and every move is wrong.” Davey didn’t need to spare Race a glance to tell that he was still smiling, still high off of his cheated win. Davey dug his fingers into the knee of his jeans and kept his eyes straight ahead. They sang the last line together before Davey stood up. He bit the inside of his cheek and did his best to look pissed off as he walked away from their table, and away from Race.

  “What’s the matter with you?” Race called after him. Davey could just see him gaping.

  He reached the end of the stage and and turned around. He watched Race play with the black king, twisting it in his fingers before slamming it down on Davey’s side of the board. He sighed in an exaggerated motion, his shoulders slumping. “Marvin!” he yelled to the ceiling.

  Davey took a breath and shook out his shoulders before marching back on stage. He didn’t have the physical suitcase with him, but he mimed putting it down anyhow. Race looked between Davey and the invisible suitcase, understanding and hurt showing on his face.

  And then Jack Kelly bursted their little bubble, getting out of his seat so he could climb the steps onto the stage. “I think we’re going to stop there today,” he said.

  Davey tried not to wither, but he wasn’t too sure how he did. He moved to sit on the back edge of Race’s seat. Race twisted around in the little space given and grinned at Davey.

  “I thought we did a lot better,” he said quietly between them. “You didn’t look like you wanted to  _ eat me _ , but I could actually believe that you wanted to kiss me that time.”

  “Yeah,” Davey murmured. “Honestly, no offense-.”

  Race patted his knee. “I get it. It’s not me, it’s you. Literally. Your aro-ace ass hurts me deeply, Davey.”

  Davey snorted. “You’ll recover,” he told him flatly.

  Jack pulled his cardigan closer around him and consulted his clipboard. He was really fitting the Theater Director Aesthetic, Davey thought. The skinny jeans and glasses instead of contacts were fine, but the cardigan and the clipboard-easily-swapped-for-an-iPad  _ really _ cemented the look.

  “So, Dave, I want you to come in just a little bit earlier when he yells ‘Marvin,’ okay? Maybe already be walking out by the time he says it. It just drags on a bit long and I’m not about it.” Jack scribbled something on his paper and hummed. Davey made a mental note, nodding to himself.

  “ _ Marvin, _ ” Race said quietly, amping up the whiny tone in his voice before smirking sideways at Davey, who snorted in amusement and knocked his shoulder with Race’s.

  “Davey,” Jack went on, “I liked it better this time around. It’s starting to get the same energy as Thrill Of First Love. Good job. Keep at it, alright?” Davey bobbed his head. “There were a little rough patches in the music, too. Race, you’re going flat at times. Please, for the love of God, be practicing those parts. Meet Elmer and I after and we’ll go through them.”

  “Got it,” Race said.

  “Davey, I liked your high notes.” Jack kissed the tips of his fingers, reminding Davey of Spot’s Italian grandmother. “Good shit, my friend. It’s like when JoJo goes high on-,” he sucked in a quick breath, straightening his shoulders, “ _ -and still the  _ **_bastard_ ** _ divorced me! _ ” Jack’s face contorted and his pinched together fingers twisted in the air. His voice was almost a screech, and he wasn’t on pitch, but Davey knew what he meant. Race stifled a laugh into the top of his hand. “You know? It’s  _ Good _ , I want to cry and bottle that sound up to give to my mother-in-law for Christmas.”

  Davey laughed. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Jack grinned at him. “And I think that’s it. Y’all pack up and head home.” He looked to the front row behind him to the five others in the cast. He gave them all pointed glares. “Take care of yourself, you heathens. Get some sleep and work on the notes I gave you.”

  Davey heaved himself up from his chair and exhaled deeply. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Race.” He smiled at the man, who grinned back.

  “See you later, man. I’m off for  _ consultation. _ ” His eyes widened in mock horror as he stood up and began to walk away.

  Davey snorted. “Good luck!” he called after him. Davey was quick to gather his things, and he met his little brother Les out in the aisles of seats. “Was it convincing?” he asked Les after they told everyone their goodbyes and began to leave the theater.

  Les paused for a second, thinking. He nodded, glancing at Davey. “It was better,” he said finally. “Needs work.”

  Davey laughed and ruffled his brother’s hair. “Come on. I’ll take you to that sushi place you like.”

  Davey was graced with a larger-than-life smile and an excited pair of brown eyes.

**Author's Note:**

> you can request more of [these](https://itsnewstome.tumblr.com/post/167718541402/prompt-list-1) drabbles [here](https://itsnewstome.tumblr.com), on my tumblr!


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